1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surgical retractors and surgical retractor stays. More particularly, the present invention relates to an elastic surgical retractor stay that includes a narrow flange-like handle, a transition section, and a wide portion carrying multiple spaced apart hooks for deep tissue retracting.
2. Description of the Related Art
During the course of a surgical procedure or operation, the surgeon opens the patient with a scalpel to form an incision. As the surgeon cuts deeper, the operating room staff typically holds tissue away from the operative field using retractors.
Most retractors are one piece metallic implements that retract a wound in a non-yielding manner. Manipulation and movement of the surgeon as well as movement caused by contracting muscles or tissues of the patient can result in bruising or tearing of tissue.
Once an incision is separated and retracted, there is often a need for multiple stays in the form of sutures for holding various tissues for example different organs. Elastic surgical retractor systems are in commercial use that include Multiple elastic stays each having an elongated elastic member that is typically a hollow length of elastic tubing. The elastic tubing provides proximal and distal end portions. The distal end portion carries an elongated hook constructed of wire. This wire hook is placed in the distal end of the bore of the hollow tubing. A shrink wrap can be placed over the hook to hold it firmly in position within the bore of the tubing at the distal end. The embedded portion of the hook member is usually recurved to form a handle. Such wire hook type surgical retractors have been successful in retracting skin tissues. However, very large tissue groups that are deep within the body cavity must still be held with manual and non-yielding retractors. An example of deep tissue retractors are those sold for example by Aesculap. These include some elongated instruments that have handles and/or circular openings that can receive a user's hand, thumb or finger. Many of these retractors have a series of parallel hooks that can be blunt, semi-sharp or sharp. Aesculap sells such handle held non-yielding retractors with two, three, four, six and eight hooks that are part of an integral rigid retractor having an elongated shaft and handles. These retractors are also sold under the terms "Kosher and Volkmann". They are commercially available from Aesculap and other medical companies. These retractors fail to provide a yielding deep retraction system that has utility for the retraction of deep tissues and large tissue groups such as muscles, ligaments, tendons, and fatty tissues.
Various patents have issued for yielding retractor stay systems. A surgical retractor array system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,791, issued to W. Dale Darnell on Mar. 6, 1984. This surgical retractor system comprises an array of standardized, interchangeable, annular retractor frame sections of various shapes of which the end portions are configured to permit the interchangeable, hinged connection of the various shaped frames in forming generally annular retractor units adaptable to conform to fit the surface contours of various patients upon which a surgical operation is to be performed.
Other recent patents have issued that relate to elastic type retractor stays and related retractor frames and systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,398, issued to Frank B. Scott, Jr., issued Jun. 23, 1981, discloses a surgical retractor which includes an annular frame conformed to fit the surface contour of the portion of the body to be operated on. At least one stay includes an elastic member and a tissue holding hook. The frame has a plurality of notches spaced about its periphery. The elastic member of the stay is adapted to be inserted into one of the notches and held in place by friction to retract the tissue. The hook is a single, curved wire member that is anchored at its distal end to a plug-like body. Retractor stays of this type have been successful in retracting skin and related surface tissue but suffer when retracting larger and deeper masses of tissue such as fatty tissues, muscle, tendons and ligaments deep within a body cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,991, issued to W. Dale Darnell, issued on Feb. 14, 1984, discloses a surgical retractor stay with a single tissue holding hook affixed to the elastic hollow tubing member of the stay by a retaining member. The retaining member has a body in which the hook shank is embedded with the sharp end of the hook extending from one end of the body. A stud with a tapered knob on its outer end extends outwardly from the other end of the retaining member body. The size and configuration of the knob and stud enable them to be tightly retained within an end portion of the hollow tubing that is stretchingly installed thereover. A surgical tube connector for joining a pair of hollow elastic surgical tube members having an elongated stud with tapered knobs at each end in which the stud and knobs are dimensioned for tight fitting containment within the end portions of the hollow tube members stretchingly installed thereover.